Fly swatter



R. ZOHM. FLY SWATTER. APPHCATION FILED OCT-17,192].

1,425,6 PatentgdAug. 15,1922.

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RICHARD ZOHM, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Brennan Zornr, a citizen of the Cnited States, residing at Rockford, in the county of ll innebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fly Qwatters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertaining to fly swatters has for its principal object to provide a swatter of generally improved construction characterized by its novel means for holding the wire fabric body in flat condition. This means includes the use of a pair of flat spring members associated with the handle and pressed against opposite sides of the wire fabric body and acting as a yieldable reinforcing and stiffening means.

Another object is to provide in a fly swatter, a flat spring element forming part of the handle and having spring cross bars upon and between which the wire fabric is stretched and secured. This gives a substantial but flexible support for the wire fabric body.

Another object is to provide a fly swatter so constructed that it may be produced at a comparatively low cost and will be practical and durable for the purposes intended.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those familiar with this art as the invention becomes, better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a fly swatter embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the wire fabric body and immediate means for supporting it; and

Figs. 3 and 4: are enlarged sections on the lines 33 and 4l respectively, of Fig. 1.

My invention contemplates the provision of novel means for supporting the wire fabric body 5 in such manner that it will be held in flat condition, will not readily pull away from its supporting means. and will be sufficiently light and flexible as to be well suited for the purposes of a fly or insect swatter of the character in mind. The top and bottom edges of said fabric body are turned over and clamped upon narrow cross bars 6 and 7, respectively, of spring material. These bars are secured medially between their ends to a main spring member 8 which constitutes part of the handle and reaches substantially throughout the length onto the upper cross bar 6.

Specification of IettersPatent. Patgn o- 'I Q 9 act an o, .i o.

Application filed October 17, 1921.

Serial No. 508,270.

thereof. As shown in Fig. 3, the-upper end of the member 8 is turned over and clamped The cross bars may be welded, soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the main spring member 8. J 1. fabric binder 9 envelops the entire. marginal edge of the wire fabric body and is sewed onto the latter.

The projecting end 1O of the' member 8 forming the handle is reinforced and stiffened by a pair of sheet metal pieces 11 and 12, U-shape in cross section, clamped onto the member 10, as shown in Fig. 4. This handle structure or reinforcing may, however, be of any suitable or preferred construction. In the present instance, the members l1 and 12 serve to clamp and hold in position a pair of flat spring elements 13 and 14. These elements, confined at one end between the handle members 10 and 11, are slightly bowed intermediate their ends as shown in Fig. 3. It follows that the upper ends 15 of these spring elements will be urged against the wire fabric body, thereby holding the latter against the spring memher 8. I

By. reason of the foregoing construction, the wire fabric body will be very securely supported without danger of easily pulling away from. its supporting elements. Furthermore, this support is flexible along the members 6, 7 and 8 and the spring elements 13 and 14 tend to maintain the wire fabric body in fiat condition. Consequently when in striking flat surface, the swatter body engages the surface at an angle and the force of the blow together with the tendency of the various spring elements will cause the body to bear fiat against the surface substantially throughout its area and thus crush an insect or fly at any point within said area. It will be manifest, therefore, that the function of such spring elements in maintaining the swatter body in fiat condition, yet flexible, is an important factor in the effective use of a device of this kind.

It is believed that the foregoing conveys clear understanding of the object prefaced above, and while I have illustrated a single working embodiment, it should be understood that various changes might be made in details of construction without departfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A swatter of the character described comprising a rectangular Wire fabric body, a Ina-1n spring member, one end of which constitutes part of a handle structure and to the other end of which is secured a pair of sprlng cross bars in longitudinally spaced relation, the opposite ends of said Wire fab ric body being turned over said cross bars, and a binder enveloping the turned over ends of the fabric body.

2. A swatter of thecharacter described comprising a rectangular Wire fabric body,

a main spring member, one end oi which constitutes part of a handle structure and to the other end or which is secured a pair of spring cross bars in longitudinally spaced relation, the opposite ends of said wire fabric body being turned over said cross bars, a binder enveloping the turned over ends of the fabric body, a handle structure secured 'to said handle end of said main spring RICHARD ZO'HMI. V 

